9 Great Guns For Women

January 3, 2018 7:00:00 AM PST

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Top 9 Guns For Women

A huge problem with purported guns for women is that the typical pistols that get recommended to them are actually terrible for many female shooters. Why? Usually because the guns in question use a smaller round but are also usually subcompact or micro guns.

Pocket .380s, snubnose revolvers and so on will fit smaller hands better, this much is true...but also aren't the easiest to shoot and also aren't the easiest to shoot accurately. Now, that isn't to say that proficiency can't be gained and it also isn't the case that experienced female shooters won't run these pistols better than a whole lot of dudes. It's more that there are known difficulties with such guns for shooters of any gender.

Ultimately, any shooter - regardless of whoever they are - should carry and shoot the gun they want to and are best with, whatever it happens to be. That said, what are some of the best guns for women or shooters with smaller hands that actually happen to be easy to shoot well? Here are 9 of them.

M&P Shield

Since its introduction, the Smith and Wesson M&P Shield has been regarded as possibly the perfect concealed carry pistol. It's compact size and light weight makes it impossibly easy to pack, and while its capacity isn't astounding (7+1 or 8+1 of 9mm, depending on the magazine deployed) it holds plenty.

The Shield is also known for shooting as easily as a gun that's twice its size. A host of options can be had (lasers, Performance Center variants, you can get it in .40 S&W and .45 ACP, among others) and it comes with flush-fit and extended magazines. Coupled with the gun being for sale EVERYWHERE and being pretty cheap to pick up ($350 is not uncommon) it's tough for anyone, irrespective of who, to do better.

Glock 26

The "Baby Glock" has been with us for about 20 years and is about as solid a CCW gun as it gets. The short grips are easier for small-handed shooters than the larger Glock 19 (and certainly the Glock 17) which has made the Glock 26 a perennial favorite of virtually everyone. It's also a wildly popular backup gun for law enforcement officers.

You get 10+1 of 9mm, and the more recent generations of the pistol also include modular backstraps so you can get the fit just perfect. The Glock operating system makes it easy to learn and easy to shoot. Everything you need, nothing you don't and a solid working gun to boot.

Ruger LCP

Unlike the hordes of Saturday Night Specials of yesteryear, some of today's pocket .380 pistols aren't actually unshootable. One of the best is the Ruger LCP or Light Compact Pistol. It's a double-action only gun fired by an internal hammer, holds 6+1 of .380, and is light and compact for incredibly easy concealment.

The LCP isn't feature-rich, to be sure; sights are fixed and the controls consist of a slide release and magazine release. It can be found in most gun stores and at $299 MSRP, comes pretty cheap. However, some find the trigger isn't to their liking, but for that crowd, there is also an upgraded version - the LCP II - with a striker-style trigger for an easier pull, and only tacks $100 onto the price tag.

Walther CCP

Walther's striker guns are held to be some of the best around in terms of ergonomics and triggers. One of the best of their carry guns is the Walther CCP, a single-stack subcompact in 9mm. It's regarded as one of the best guns for women and small-handed shooters, but a lot of people have come to appreciate it.

The CCP is one of the most comfortable pistols to hold with Walther's ergonomics, has a smooth, easy trigger, a manual safety for those who desire it and holds 8+1 of 9mm. It's easily carried and concealed as well, and shoots very, very easily despite the compact size and light weight. A lot of people consider it one of the best carry pistols on the market for anyone.

It's a bit less common in stores, but it's fairly easily found for somewhere between $400 and $450, which is very reasonable for a carry gun of the CCP's quality.

Sig Sauer P938

The Sig Sauer P938 is one of the smallest 9mm pistols on the market, but it shoots accurately and fairly well for the size. It's a Sig P238 - a micro .380 - scaled up for the 9mm cartridge. The small size makes it ideal for use as a carry gun, but does come with some caveats.

It's a single-action, which takes a little time to get competent with. It's also expensive for such a small gun. However, it's also a high-quality pistol as Sig Sauer doesn't make anything substandard.

Glock 43

If the Glock 26 is the Baby Glock, the Glock 43 is the Baby Baby Glock. It's a single-stack magazine, holding 6+1 of 9mm. It's also known to be far easier to shoot despite its small size and accurate as well.

It's the Glock operating system, so it's pretty simple to learn and use. It's also fairly widely available and reasonably priced as well. It's a great carry gun or backup gun, and given the shooting dynamics and small size, a very popular gun for women...and actually for everyone.

Taurus PT111 Millennium G2

If you need a solid shooter on a budget, the Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 is the gun to get. It's small enough for those with smaller hands to easily shoot and handle, though big enough for people with bigger mitts to operate as well. It's light and compact, which makes it a very popular carry gun. Some people sneer because its made by Taurus, but the G2 has been winning a lot of people over.

It carries 12+1 of 9mm or 10+1 of .40 S&W. It's striker-fired, so the trigger is easy to operate and for the gun to be learned. There is a manual safety if you want to use it, but you don't have to so long as it stays holstered.

Given that it can easily be picked up for $250 or less...it may be the bargain of the century.

S&W M&P Bodyguard

One of the better-regarded micro .380 pistols is the S&W M&P Bodyguard. The grip is small but actually big enough for a lot of people to get a good purchase on. It can be picked up for a reasonable amount (about the same as the Shield) and has been praised by reviewers and owners for being actually manageable to shoot, unlike many .380 pocket guns from past decades.

It carries 6+1 of .380, with a decent trigger for a DAO pistol and sights that can be actually used, which is not common in tiny guns like the M&P Bodyguard. The base model includes a manual safety, for those that want one, and upgraded trim versions can be had as well, in case you'd like to add a laser.

Springfield XD-S

One of the most popular carry guns of today happens to be one of the best guns for women as well, the Springfield Armory XD-S. Like the Shield, it's a single-stack striker-fired subcompact. It can be had in 9mm, .40 and .45 caliber, with carry capacity depending on which caliber you choose. It comes with a flush-fit and extended magazine, in case you need a bit more to get a handle on. The 9mm version holds 7 or 8 rounds, the .40 version holds 6 or 7, and the .45 version holds 5 or 6, depending on the magazine chosen.

The XD-S has textured grips that help you keep a hold on it. It has an easy trigger, with a trigger safety (like a Glock) but also a grip safety, so the gun can't fire unless you're holding it and squeezing the trigger. It's also small and light, so it's easy to carry, but it's also fairly easy to shoot. That's made it one of the most popular carry guns on the market at the moment, for just about anyone.

MSRP is $500, but you can usually find them for $450 or a bit less in most stores.

Any other great guns for women that you can think of? Let us know in the comments or on social media! While these are all known to be great pistols for women, shooters with small hands - or just about anyone - the thing is the best gun for any woman is the one she likes best and can shoot best, regardless of what that might be. Just like it is for anyone.

Have you shot these firearms? What did you like, and what didn't you?Let us know in the comments below!

About The Author

Born in southeastern Washington State, Sam Hoober graduated in 2011 from Eastern Washington University. He resides in the great Inland Northwest, with his wife and child. His varied interests and hobbies include camping, fishing, hunting, and spending time at the gun range as often as possible.

Post Comments

Vandal

I’m a child of the great Inland Empire, and I really appreciate your wisdom. I am new to the world of firearms, so your article has been very helpful.

I will be making some purchases for two important women in my life, based primarily upon your research.

Thanks again,

Vandal

Seth

posted on January 20, 2019 5:22:09 AM PST

I own both the Ruger lcp and the 9mm shield. The shield is by far one of the smoothest ccw I have shot. The lcp on the other hand, is very "snappy" it's a struggle keeping follow up shots centered on target. It may be that I've not really trained with it as much, but that's probably due to the fact I do not like the way it handles. I am going to shoot both the baby clock and the S&W bodyguard soon to see how they handle in comparison.